EDISON, N.J. – Jordan Spieth was gone, but not forgotten, certainly not by Jason Day.

In his debut as the No. 1 player in the world, Spieth had back-to-back rounds over par for the first time all year and missed the cut. He already was assured of losing the No. 1 ranking back to Rory McIlroy when Day put together a weekend at The Barclays that was even better when put into recent context.

He shot 63-62 on the weekend – the 62 was the lowest closing round by a PGA Tour winner all year – and finished at 19-under 261 for a six-shot win over Henrik Stenson. This was Day’s first tournament since he became the first player in a major to reach 20-under par in beating Spieth by three shots at the PGA Championship.

Throw in the RBC Canadian Open and Day has won three of his last four tournaments.

So it seemed to be a natural question who would get his vote as PGA Tour player of the year, which until last week was not really a question at all.

And it still isn’t to Day – not yet, anyway.

“Right now, Jordan Spieth gets my vote,” Day said. “Winning two major championships at such a young age is big. Winning four tournaments overall is great.”

Then again, there are still three FedEx Cup playoff events remaining, including the Tour Championship that determines the $10 million bonus. It’s already been a banner summer for the 27-year-old Australian, and he’s not done yet.

“I think winning the FedEx Cup and maybe one or two more tournaments, that could put my name in the mix for player of the year,” Day said. “I’m not sure. I’m going to leave that to the peers, to the people. That will definitely throw my name in the mix.”

Spieth already has locked up the points-based award from the PGA of America because of a bonus awarded to multiple major champions, and that’s not something to take lightly. The 22-year-old Texan is only the 19th player in 120 years to do that. As only the fourth player to get halfway to the Grand Slam, he handled the pressure by finishing one shot out of a playoff at St. Andrews. And with a runner-up at the PGA Championship, Spieth joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to finish in the top four at all four majors.

He also was runner-up three other times (Houston Open, Texas Open, Colonial), still is nearly $3 million ahead of Day on the money list and is leading the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average on the PGA Tour.

That’s why Day was quick not to dismiss Spieth.

If the Australian were to win the Tour Championship, that makes it interesting, but still probably not enough. The Tour Championship and one other FedEx Cup playoff event? That would be six wins – only Woods and Vijay Singh have done that over the last 20 years – and then it moves the vote closer to a coin flip.

“I’m by far playing the best golf of my life,” Day said. “Just the synergy between my golf swing right now and what I’ve done with my body is working. I’m hitting it a long, long way. I feel like the accuracy has pulled in. … I feel like Jordan Spieth with how I’m putting. It’s a good feeling.”

Another race is shaping up that could prove to be more compelling.

A year ago, when McIlroy won the final two majors with a World Golf Championship in between, he was so clearly No. 1 in the world that the only discussion was who could challenge him. Spieth and Day provided the answer, with four wins apiece on the PGA Tour, and three of the four majors.

Day will have a mathematical chance to reach No. 1 if he were to win the Deutsche Bank Championship. There was chatter about a modern Big Three after Day won the PGA Championship, and this victory in the Barclays, along with his realistic chance of getting to No. 1, only confirms it.

McIlroy didn’t play The Barclays to give his left ankle one more week of rest as a precaution. He tied for 17th in the PGA Championship, his first time competing in nearly two months, and he has won on the TPC Boston.

Spieth has a knack for bouncing back quickly. The last time he missed a cut was at The Players, and over his next eight starts he had two wins (including the U.S. Open), two runner-up finishes and two third-place finishes. The TPC Boston is where his stock really began to rise two years ago when he closed with a 62.

Yes, the majors are over.

Golf still has the potential to be plenty compelling over the next four weeks. That’s what the PGA Tour wanted.

Only it has nothing to do with $10 million.

EDISON, N.J. – Jason Day, so poor as a kid that he shopped at a store where he stuffed as much used clothing as he could into a bag for $5, is trying not to think about the potential of a $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup. That’s still four weeks away.

Day, so cocksure as a teenager that he talked about being No. 1 even before he was a PGA Tour rookie, is trying to keep his mind off the possibility that he could rise above Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth and claim the top spot in the world ranking. That could be as little as one week away.

His six-shot victory Sunday in The Barclays opened a whole world of possibilities.

“I can only control what I can control,” Day said.

And he has a great grip on that at the moment.

Fresh off his first major title at the PGA Championship, Day used that frightening blend of power and putting to bury another world-class field at The Barclays. He finished off a sensational weekend at Plainfield Country Club with an 8-under 62, the lowest closing round by a winner this year on the PGA Tour.

Henrik Stenson got within two shots after back-to-back birdies until he stalled with four holes to play, and Day made a pair of long putts across the green for birdies to stretch the lead and give him a peaceful walk up the 18th hole.

Relentless to the end, he hit driver to the edge of the green and made birdie to complete a 63-62 weekend.

McIlroy, who didn’t play in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event so he could give his ankle an extra week of rest, moved back to No. 1 when Spieth missed the cut at The Barclays. That figured to be a two-man battle for the next month, except that now it’s a three-man race.

Day could go to No. 1 with a victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Boston, which starts Friday.

And the 27-year-old Australian would figure to be the favorite, at least considering how the last month has gone.

Since leaving the U.S. Open with vertigo symptoms, Day has won three of his five tournaments and is 62-under par in 20 rounds. He was 17 under when he won the RBC Canadian Open by one shot over Bubba Watson. He set a major championship record to par when he won the PGA Championship at 20 under at Whistling Straits for a three-shot win over Spieth. And he finished at 19-under 261 to beat Stenson by six shots.

“Jason is full of confidence, just heating it up, making birdies,” said Stenson, who closed with a 66. “It would have taken something really special to challenge him today the way he’s playing at the moment.”

Watson, who birdied the 18th hole for a 69 to finish third, was standing on the 15th hole when he said he turned to caddie Ted Scott and told him, “I’m playing good the last few months, and Jason Day is playing a thousand times better.”

Better than anyone?

The victory, his fourth on the PGA Tour this year to tie him with Spieth, moved him to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup and assures that Day will be among the top five who have a clear shot at the $10 million bonus at the Tour Championship.

More compelling is another race to No. 1.

Day remains at No. 3 in the world, but now enters the picture with Spieth and McIlroy for golf supremacy. All three will have a mathematical chance to get to No. 1 at the TPC Boston next week.

“Right now I’m trying to focus on getting some rest and going into next week, trying to play that golf course, which I absolutely love,” Day said. “All positive stuff.”

The only battle was to be among the top 100 who advanced to the next playoff event.

PGA Tour rookie Zac Blair was among eight players who played their way into the top 100, and he did it in a big way. He closed with a 66 and tied for fourth, moving him from No. 106 to No. 35.

Camilo Villegas at No. 123 appeared to be playing his way out of another week when he made three straight bogeys early on the back nine. Facing elimination if he failed to make par on the 18th, he got up-and-down by making a par putt from just inside 10 feet.

“As bad as I putted today, I think I made the hardest putt today,” Villegas said.

The Barclays did not end well for Stewart Cink and Nick Taylor. Cink needed a par on the final hole to advance, pulled his tee shot left into high grass and missed a 15-foot par putt for a 72. He finished at No. 102 in the FedEx Cup. Taylor, the Canadian rookie who won early in the season last November, took a double bogey on the 14th hole and then missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have sent him to Boston.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a final-round 2-under 68 to reach even-par for the tournament. Taylor from Abbotsford, B.C., finished 2-over for a share of 53rd place.

CANTON, Miss. – John Daly was out of the hospital and playing golf again Sunday less than 24 hours after he was stricken on the course with what he says was a collapsed lung.

The two-time major champion was taken by ambulance to Baptist Medical Center on Saturday after he collapsed on the 18th tee during an outing at Deerfield Country Club. Daly said doctors ran tests and X-rays but found no other serious problems besides the lung.

“I was having a great time and then suddenly – boom – I’m falling down while on the 18th tee and the next thing I know I’m in an ambulance,” Daly said. “It was scary.”

But Daly was back at Deerfield on Sunday, smoking cigarettes on the clubhouse patio while mingling with some of the other players before his round. The tournament is a small, local gathering that includes some of Daly’s friends.

Daly’s agent, Bud Martin, said in an email earlier Saturday that the 49-year-old golfer has been coping with a lingering rib injury dating to 2007. The injury recently was causing pain and affected his breathing.

Daly’s right hand was heavily taped on Sunday. He said he hurt it while putting a new tire on his son’s golf cart earlier this week, which indirectly led to Saturday’s problems.

“I had to change my swing some to get a good grip and the doctor said the changed motion is likely what led to the collapsed lung,” Daly said.

Deerfield club pro Leigh Brannan says Daly was having trouble with the heat Saturday and had difficulty breathing before being taken to the hospital. Temperatures were near 90 degrees.

“It was just kind of a freak injury,” Daly said.

Daly’s hard-living ways have been well documented during a turbulent career on the PGA Tour. He recently threw his 6-iron into Lake Michigan during the PGA Championship after hitting three balls into the water.

EDISON, N.J. – Ryan Palmer can’t imagine the emotions if he were to win The Barclays a week after his father died. Bae Sang-moon would love nothing more than to play in the Presidents Cup at home in South Korea before he starts his mandatory military service. Jason Day is one round away from being in the race for No. 1 in the world.

The FedEx Cup playoffs suddenly are about a lot more than a $10 million bonus at the end.

Bae and Day traded birdies through the third round Saturday at Plainfield Country Club. Their best-ball score would have been 56. On their own, each had a 7-under 63 and were tied for the lead going at 11-under 199, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson (67).

Bae has to start his two-year military stint when he returns to South Korea. With a victory on Sunday, he would be assured a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup, which is being held in his home country for the first time and will be the biggest golf event in South Korea.

“I have a really tough situation right now, but I don’t think about it anymore, actually,” he said. “I have to go back. So that is a few weeks later. So I just want to play good golf this week and really want to play Presidents Cup in my country.”

The emotion comes from Palmer, who hasn’t had a top 10 in the last three months. He is playing a week after his 71-year-old father died just north of Amarillo, Texas, when his SUV overturned. Palmer has found peaceful moments on the golf course, and while dropping two shots late in his round Saturday, he had a 65 and was two shots behind.

At times, Palmer caught himself wondering what it would mean to win with a family grieving at home.

“But then I just kind of come back saying, `OK, let’s just hit this shot, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves yet.’ I don’t know what it’s going to be like if it happens,” Palmer said after a 65. “I can’t put into words what it would mean for sure.”

Day, just like he did on the par 5s at Whistling Straits when he won his first major two weeks ago, cracked a 343-yard drive down the middle on the 601-yard 16th hole, and then hit a 4-iron to 18 feet and holed it for eagle to tie for the lead.

Day and Bae made bogey from the rough on the 17th, and both got up-and-down for birdie on the reachable 18th.

A victory by the 27-year-old Australian would be his fourth win of the year, tying him with Jordan Spieth for most on the PGA Tour this year, and allow him to join the race for No. 1 going into the final month of the tour season. Spieth, who missed the cut, will lose the No. 1 spot to Rory McIlroy.

“I’m shooting for my fourth win of the season, so I can’t really get ahead of myself,” Day said. “I’ve just got to not be satisfied with the score that I’m at. I’ve just got to keep pushing, because the moment that you’re satisfied with a score is the moment that you mentally kind of take a break and you start making mistakes.”

Still, Bae might have the most at stake.

He had been able to avoid his mandatory military service through his PGA Tour career until it was determined that he spent too much time in South Korea last year. He appealed the decision at the start of the year, and the military courts ruled a month ago that he had to serve. Bae accepted the decision, though he remains in America to finish out the FedEx Cup. It was not clear when the military service starts, or if he could even play Oct. 8-11 in the Presidents Cup.

And if Bae gets to the Tour Championship and captures the FedEx Cup, the $10 million might be a secondary award. Bae also would receive a five-year exemption, which would come in handy when he returns from the military.

The FedEx Cup trophy is a long way off. So is the trophy for The Barclays.

British Open champion Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson each had 67 and joined Palmer at 9-under 201. Former PGA champion Jason Dufner had a 69 and was four shots behind. Ten players were separated by five shots going into the final round.

Palmer can only hope for the same soothing feeling golf has given him this week. The problems he has had driving the ball seem to have gone away. So has the irritation from hitting bad shots. Golf has been a refuge this week. His caddie, James Edmondson, also was close to Palmer’s father. Edmondson and Palmer’s agent, Mike Chisum, were with him in Amarillo and all week in New Jersey.

“Them being here this week has been huge for me to just kind of keep my mind off of it,” Palmer said. “When I get inside the ropes, I get those four hours to not thin a whole lot about it and really try to play golf with some peace and comfort.”

EDISON, N.J. – Jordan Spieth lost out on a chance to play the weekend at The Barclays.

He also lost his No. 1 ranking.

Bubba Watson, momentarily distracted by a rare warning for taking too long to play a shot, recovered with a birdie on the 18th hole at Plainfield Country Club for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.

On an otherwise sleepy afternoon at a course where no one could get some separation, two peculiar moments stood out – a bad time for Watson, bad golf from Spieth.

Trying to rally to make the cut, Spieth hit into a hazard on the 12th hole, and a bogey later became a double bogey when he was penalized one shot for stepping on his ball during the search. He had a 73, the first time since the Tour Championship last year that he had consecutive rounds over par.

He missed the cut by five shots. That means Rory McIlroy, who isn’t playing this week, returns to No. 1.

“I’ve reached that peak already and I know it’s going to be close enough to where if I just get the job done next week, I’ll be back in that ranking,” Spieth said. “But again, that ranking, it’s great once you reach it but it’s not something that I’m going to live or die on each week.”

McIlroy becomes the 14th player since the world ranking began in 1986 to get to No. 1 without playing that week.

Watson is in good shape through 36 holes to claim his own No. 1 ranking – a victory would move him to the top of the FedEx Cup. Much like the world ranking right now, that figures to change by the week.

Ultimately, what matters to Watson, Spieth and others is winning the Tour Championship to capture the $10 million bonus.

Halfway through this event, no telling what else will happen over the next two days.

PGA Tour rookie Justin Thomas had a few late bogeys for a 69 and shrugged when asked if he was happy with his score. He was seven shots back.

“This is a course where if you make the cut, you have a chance to win,” Thomas said.

Watson was at 7-under 133.

British Open champion Zach Johnson made five birdies to go with four par-saving putts from outside 8 feet for a 65. He was one shot out of the lead, along with Henrik Stenson (66), Tony Finau (69) and Jason Dufner (68).

Watson typically struggles on courses with blind shots, and Plainfield has plenty of them. But he’s picking out targets, smashing his driver close to the green on the shorter holes and getting by just fine.

The bad time came on No. 16 with a difficult pin position, made even tougher by the fact Watson watched Spieth’s shot roll back some 100 feet off the green. Watson took longer than 40 seconds – 1 minutes, 2 seconds to be exact – and was given the bad time. One more bad time would have led to a one-shot penalty. Watson said he rushed his next shot from the fairway and came up 30 yards short of the green, leading to bogey.

Asked about his round, the first thing he brought up was the bad time, which he thought was “hilarious.” He spoke to the rules official after the round.

“I told them, `I’m not mad at anybody about the bad time.’ I went over the time, which is the right ruling,” he said. “It’s just on a hole like that, one of the toughest holes we’ve ever played besides 2011 when we played the same pin placement, it’s very difficult.

“But yeah, I’m very happy about my round,” he said. “I’m excited where I’m at. I made the cut and I’m in the last group. Hopefully, I’m here talking to y’all tomorrow about something else crazy that happened.”

Spieth made 10 bogeys and two double bogeys over 36 holes. He had one stretch on the front nine of four bogeys in five holes. The exception was a birdie. But after starting the back nine with back-to-back birdies to get within two shots of the cut line, his long approach on the par-5 12th found a hazard of thick grass.

Spieth said he told his caddie he was going to play the shot if he could see the ball, and take a penalty drop if he could not see it. Instead, he stepped on it. He thought because he announced that he might take a penalty that stepping on the ball didn’t matter. Spieth, instead of getting into a long explanation with a rules official on the next hole, waited until after the round and accepted the additional one-shot penalty.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter. He still missed the cut for the third time this year. He has a week before he tees it up next week in the TPC Boston, which has a Labor Day finish. And he sounded frustrated when he said, “I’m definitely searching for answers.”

Some players have a month to search by missing the cut, making it impossible to move into the top 100 in the FedEx Cup and advance to the top 100. That group included Tim Clark and Graham DeLaet. Adam Scott also missed the cut and is likely to fall out of the top 100 at the end of the tournament Sunday.

Brantford, Ont., product David Hearn followed up an opening-round 70 with a round of 69 to reach 1-under 139 and a share of 32nd place. Nick Taylor is even-par  and sits T40.

In his first tournament as No. 1 in the world, Spieth had a pair of three-putt bogeys, hit a tee shot in the water, shot 40 on his back nine and wound up with a 4-over 74 in the opening round of The Barclays. It was his highest score since a 75 in The Players Championship, the last time he missed a cut.

“Just lost a little bit of focus,” Spieth said. “All in all, I’m just going to take today as a fluke round. I still believe I’m playing well. It just happened to be an off day on a day where it counted.”

Bubba Watson and Tony Finau powered their way around Plainfield Country Club and each had a 5-under 65. They were in a four-way tie for the lead that included Spencer Levin and Camilo Villegas, players who are in dire need of a good week.

Villegas only got into the top 125 to qualify for the playoffs last week at the Wyndham Championship, with two shots to spare. That was pressure. Now he feels as though he has nothing to lose as he tries to get into the top 100 who advance to the second event next week at the TPC Boston.

“Last week was an important week,” said Villegas, who is No. 123. “It hasn’t been the best of years, and just to be able to sneak in here and give myself a chance … I get off to a good start, and three more rounds to go and keep it going.”

Levin secured his spot in the playoffs with a 63 in the final round at the Wyndham, moving up seven spots to No. 115. Much like Villegas, he felt relieved to have made it to The Barclays, and everything else is gravy. He rolled in three early birdies and dropped only one shot on a mild, blustery day.

“This is a nice stress to have,” he said. “I’m happy with where I am right now and who knows? Maybe I can keep it going.”

Spieth has nothing to lose except the No. 1 ranking he has held for all of two weeks.

With two majors among his four wins, and nine top-three finishes this year, he is No. 1 in the FedEx Cup and virtually assured of getting to the finale at East Lake with a clear shot at the $10 million bonus. He can afford an off week or three. He just didn’t like it.

Playing alongside Watson and Jason Day – the top three in the FedEx Cup – Spieth didn’t miss a fairway on the back nine and was 2 under at the turn, three shots behind Watson. From the fairway on No. 1 to a back pin, he got too aggressive and went over the green, leading to bogey. Facing a 20-foot birdie putt on the next hole, he left in woefully short and backed off the par putt twice before missing it. And then he put his next shot in the water.

The round ended with another three-putt bogey.

Spieth could lose the No. 1 ranking to Rory McIlroy, who is not playing this week as a precaution coming off an ankle injury. The next step for Spieth?

“Do what I’ve done best – bounce back,” he said. “I come back strong tomorrow. I’m not a big fan of the course. It doesn’t fit me very well particularly, but I’ve also won on courses that I didn’t think fit me very well. So I know I can still shoot a low round if I hit the shots that I need to hit, that I’m trying to hit.

“Typically when I hit the fairways, I’m not over par. And that’s what was weird about the round.”

Watson wasn’t hitting all the fairways, but at times that was to his advantage. The greens are pitched in such a way that some shots have to carry to the hole, allowing for spin to make sure it stays below the hole. That’s what caused Spieth problems.

From the rough, Watson was able to land short of the flag and have it roll up toward the hole. That set up ample birdies.

Ditto for Finau, the power Utah rookie.

“So No. 9 today with that pin just on top of the ridge, if you draw a decent lie in the rough, it’s almost easier to just run something up instead of worrying about the spin if you’re hitting from the fairway,” Finau said.

He had the wildest round. Finau opened with three straight birdies, followed with three straight bogeys, made one par and then ran off three more birdies.

Paul Casey and Jason Dufner were in the large group at 66. Day joined Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler in the group at 68.

Day pulled out of the pro-am Wednesday after tweaking his back. Oddly enough, he had wanted an MRI on his back before the playoffs to make sure everything was in order. He felt the twinge removing a light box from under his motor home, and decided to have the MRI on Wednesday. It showed everything in good order, and while the PGA champion rubbed his back after a few hooked tee shots, he felt good enough.

Defending champion Hunter Mahan birdied his opening hole and went on to shoot 78. Justin Rose had a 77, while defending FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel had a 76.

EDISON, N.J. – The points are slightly different for the FedEx Cup playoffs. The principle remains unchanged.

For those who narrowly got into the top 125 to qualify for golf’s ultimate bonus series, it’s time to play well or go home. That applies to players such as Lee Westwood and Jason Dufner, Stewart Cink and Luke Donald, and possibly Adam Scott.

Those with mediocre seasons on the PGA Tour – Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson are two who come to mind – they get at least two tournaments, maybe three, to play better golf and wind up at East Lake for the Tour Championship.

Jordan Spieth?

That’s a tricky one. The No. 1 player in the world, and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, all that really matters is winning the Tour Championship to capture the $10 million prize. Spieth could win three straight playoff events and finish runner-up at East Lake and finish second.

“After the major season is over, which is where we wanted to peak, we’ve sat back over the last week and said, `How can we get that same kind of momentum to where we can try and peak for the Tour Championship?'” Spieth said.

The playoffs begin Thursday at The Barclays with a 120-man field because five players chose not to play for various reasons. For all the points that will be tossed around on television, the only math function that really matters is subtraction.

Only 100 players advance to the Deutsche Bank Championship. From there, only 70 players move on to the BMW Championship. And that gets whittled down to the top 30 players who reach the Tour Championship.

Here’s what to look for when The Barclays begins at Plainfield Country Club:

LONELY AT THE TOP: The No. 1 seed at the start of the playoffs has gone on to claim the $10 million prize just two times since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. This might not come as surprise, but both times involved Tiger Woods.

Woods has been No. 1 in the standings a record five times, including in 2008 when he stopped playing in June because of knee surgery.

That’s because the points are reset going into the Tour Championship to give all 30 players a mathematical chance at winning the FedEx Cup. For all the top seeds, it’s a matter of having your best week at East Lake. It’s not that simple.

Here’s where the eight FedEx Cup champions were seeded going into the playoffs: 1-7-1-3-15-19-9-69.

TOUR’S WORST NIGHTMARE: Because the points are quadrupled in value for the playoffs, there is a mathematical possibility that a player can win the FedEx Cup without ever having won a tournament all season. It hasn’t happened – yet. But it’s not that far-fetched.

Paul Casey nearly pulled it off in 2010 when he was at No. 5 going into the Tour Championship and made a late surge at East Lake. If he had finished alone in second at the Tour Championship, he would have won the cup. He was in position late until tying for fourth.

One candidate this year might be Kevin Kisner. He is No. 17 going into The Barclays. A couple of top 3s to get in range and a runner-up finish at East Lake could make him a footnote in history. And a rich man.

NO-SHOWS: Rory McIlroy is sitting out The Barclays to give his ankle a precautionary week of rest. It shouldn’t matter that much to McIlroy, who is No. 9 in the FedEx Cup. He is virtually assured of playing at East Lake and has two tournaments to move up the list.

Louis Oosthuizen (No. 28) is taking the week off with a sore back. Sergio Garcia (No. 31) is out for reasons unknown.

Francesco Molinari (No. 99) is home with a new baby, while Retief Goosen (No. 112) is not playing for personal reasons. Their seasons are over.

THE OTHER RACE: For several Americans in the field, these opening two playoff events might be worth more than just FedEx Cup points. The top 10 qualifiers for the Presidents Cup team will be determined after the Deutsche Bank Championship. Phil Mickelson is in dire need of a big week. He has qualified for every U.S. team for the last two decades and doesn’t want to see that streak end.

Brooks Koepka set the Presidents Cup team as a goal at the start of the year. That’s why he played last week in North Carolina. He wants to earn his way on the team.

The International team is decided by the world ranking. Among those on the bubble are Danny Lee, Steven Bowditch and John Senden.

As golf has become more global and the wealth of the PGA Tour has made it the premier destination, there has been grumbling over the years that it has become easier for international players to earn a PGA Tour card through world rankings that get them into the biggest events.

This year shows another side to that equation.

The penalty for not meeting membership requirements is far stiffer than it is for Americans.

Martin Kaymer of Germany, a two-time major champion and former No. 1 player in the world, joined the PGA Tour in 2013. As a European, he is entitled to the “home circuit” policy that allows him to play unlimited European Tour events. However, he is required to play a minimum of 15 events on the PGA Tour.

Kaymer built the FedEx Cup playoffs into his worldwide schedule, had a poor year by his standards and ran into a big problem – he failed to qualify for the playoffs, and wound up playing only 13 times.

The penalty is Kaymer forfeits his PGA Tour membership for next season. Even if he were to win next year, he could not rejoin the tour until the 2016-17 season. He cannot compete in the FedEx Cup next year and he is allowed to play no more than 12 PGA Tour events (including majors and World Golf Championships).

And then there’s Steve Stricker, who entered into semi-retirement a year ago.

Stricker played only nine events this year (he was not eligible for the World Golf Championships or two majors) and finished at No. 176 in the FedEx Cup. He also is required to play a minimum 15 times to keep his membership, but in his case, that only means he can’t vote on tour issues (player advisory council, awards). But he would be eligible for the FedEx Cup next year.

The difference? Stricker didn’t activate the “home circuit” policy because the PGA Tour is his home. If Americans want to play overseas (Rickie Fowler at the Scottish Open, for example), they must get a “conflicting event release” from the PGA Tour. The guideline is three releases for every 15 tour events played.

Kaymer isn’t alone in this predicament.

Victor Dubuisson of France also took up PGA Tour membership. He played only 10 times on the PGA Tour and finished No. 190 in the FedEx Cup. Because he claimed the home circuit policy, he will not be eligible for the FedEx Cup next year.

—

MONEY & POINTS: Charlie Beljan didn’t qualify for FedEx Cup playoffs for the second straight year and managed to keep his card.

There’s a difference between FedEx points and PGA Tour earnings, and it has saved him. Beljan finished in the top 10 only once this year; He was third at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which had a $6.8 million purse. Beljan earned $462,400 that week, which was 59 percent of his season earnings. So while he finished at No. 149 in the FedEx Cup, he wound up at No. 118 on the money list, enough to keep his full PGA Tour card for next year.

Points are evenly distributed at all PGA Tour events, with a slight bump for the World Golf Championships and another for the majors. Prize money varies at tournaments, from the $6.8 million at Pebble Beach and $10 million at the majors to $5.4 million for the Wyndham Championship and $4.7 million for the John Deere Classic.

The PGA Tour kept the top 125 on the money list as part of its criteria when it shifted to the wraparound season and said it would evaluate whether to keep it. So far, the policy board has decided to keep it.

That’s good news for Beljan, Will MacKenzie, Jamie Donaldson, Whee Kim and David Toms. They all finished in the top 125 on the money list and failed to make the playoffs. Kaymer also was in the top 125, though he didn’t meet his minimum requirement of 15 starts. Scott Stallings, serving a three-month suspension for violating the anti-doping policy, also was in the top 125 but he already was exempt for next year from his 2014 win at Torrey Pines.

Seven players who reached the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings were outside the top 125 on the money list – Vijay Singh, Jonas Blixt, Erik Compton, John Huh, Stewart Cink, Spencer Levin, Camilo Villegas and Jeff Overton.

Overton is No. 125 in the FedEx Cup. He was No. 154 on the money list.

William McGirt was safe either way, though he had the greatest discrepancy – No. 74 in the FedEx Cup, No. 114 on the money list.

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NEW TO THE ROTATION: The Barclays already has been held at five golf courses since the FedEx Cup began. It’s about to get another.

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that Glen Oaks Club on Long Island will host the opening FedEx Cup event in 2017. The course was designed by Joe Finer and opened in 1971. It was named club of the year in 2015 by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association.

That means The Barclays will be held at five courses over the next five years – Bethpage Black in 2016, Glen Oaks in 2017, Ridgewood in 2018, Liberty National in 2019 and Plainfield in 2020.

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ANIRBAN LAHIRI: Anirban Lahiri of India tied for fifth at the PGA Championship, though his bogey on the final hole at Whistling Straits proved costly. It ultimately was worth $72,500, the difference in getting a PGA Tour card for next year.

Lahiri finished with $712,794 in non-member earnings, which was the equivalent of No. 128 on the money list. Had he been in the top 125, he would have earned a card.

Even with a tie for fifth at the PGA Championship, he was not eligible for the Wyndham Championship because he was not a special temporary member and had already used up the maximum 12 exemptions on the PGA Tour.

So what’s next?

Lahiri will be eligible to take part in the Web.com Tour Finals and could try to earn his card through those four events.

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DIVOTS: PGA Tour rookie Justin Thomas gets new shirts for his first FedEx Cup playoff event. He has signed an endorsement deal with Citigroup, which starts this week. The logo will be on his left sleeve. Thomas is No. 36 in the FedEx Cup. … Davis Love III at No. 613 in the world became the seventh player ranked outside the top 200 to win on the PGA Tour this season. The others were Nick Taylor (566), James Hahn (297), Padraig Harrington (297), David Lingmerth (212), Fabian Gomez (288) and J.J. Henry (426). … Leona Maguire of Ireland won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the No. 1 female in the 2015 world amateur ranking. … The PGA of America has selected former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman to receive its Distinguished Service Award. Beman will be honored Nov. 13 during the PGA’s annual meeting in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Dating to the start of the FedEx Cup in 2007, Ernie Els made the cut in all four majors for the first time, and missed the playoffs for the first time.

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FINAL WORD: “He’s the real deal, and he can play under pressure. He’s like Tiger. I didn’t know if we’d find somebody that could make the putts that he does and stay consistently through the pressure rounds of the majors, and he seems to have that kind of game.” – Johnny Miller on Jordan Spieth.

PGA champion Jason Day has withdrawn from the pro-am at The Barclays after tweaking his back.

Day was moving an item under his motor coach on Tuesday night when he tweaked his back. His trainer says Day withdrew from the Wednesday pro-am at Plainfield Country Club because of a longstanding disc issue. The Australian wanted a day of rest so that he could play in the tournament.

Day has a history of injuries that include his back and hand. He suffered vertigo symptoms at the U.S. Open this year.

Day is coming off his first major at Whistling Straits when he won by three shots over Jordan Spieth. At No. 2 in the FedEx Cup, he is to play the opening round with Spieth and Bubba Watson.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – During their practice round together before the Wyndham Championship, Tiger Woods pumped local favorite Davis Love III for tips on how to play the course.

Looks like Love saved a few secrets for himself.

Love became the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history with his victory Sunday, while Woods’ season came to an abrupt end.

The 51-year-old Love closed with a 6-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over Jason Gore.

“Tiger and I were talking on the putting green – one of us needed to get going and win this thing,” Love said.

He did.

Woods had trouble getting his final round started.

The dominant storyline all week at Sedgefield Country Club was the mere presence of Woods, who needed a victory to earn a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener next week.

He was poised to challenge Sunday, starting just two strokes off the lead. But he only had one birdie during his first 10 holes, dropping way off the pace with a triple bogey on the par-4 11th. Woods shot a 70, finished four strokes back and ended at No. 178 in the standings, well outside the top 125.

“I gave myself a chance, and I had all the opportunity in the world today to do it,” Woods said. “I didn’t get it done.”

Now comes a break before his next tournament, the Frys.com Open in October in northern California. It’s the first event of the tour’s 2015-16 season.

“This is my offseason right now,” he said.

Love – who started at No. 186 – played himself into The Barclays by earning 500 FedEx Cup points and $972,000 in prize money.

At 51 years, 4 months, 10 days, Love trails only Sam Snead and Art Wall on the tour’s age list. Snead won the last of his eight Greensboro titles in 1965 at Sedgefield at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days, and Wall took the 1975 Greater Milwaukee Open at 51 years, 7 months, 10 days.

“Any victory now is going to be really sweet when you’re over 50,” Love said.

Love has 21 career victories, three in Greensboro. His previous two wins came across town at Forest Oaks Country Club in 1992 and 2006, and he had just one win since then – at the 2008 Children’s Miracle Network Classic in Florida.

“To have your name thrown out there with Sam Snead at any point is incredible,” Love said. “For some reason, this tournament has been good to guys in my age group.”

Love finished at 17-under 263. Gore, the third-round leader, shot a 69. Scott Brown (68), Charl Schwartzel (66) and Paul Casey (67) were two strokes behind Love.

Love, four strokes back after three rounds, started strong with four birdies and an eagle on Nos. 2-6. He moved to 17 under with an eagle on the par-5 15th – the first of his career during a competitive round on that hole.

He closed with three straight pars, walked off the 18th green with a two-stroke lead over Brown and Gore, and headed to the range to hit a few shots and rest up for a possible playoff.

“You don’t really know what to do,” Love said. “You don’t go to the cabin and think that you’ve won.”

Brown pulled within one stroke of Love with a birdie on 15, and Gore made things even more interesting with an eagle on that hole.

Neither got any closer.

Brown hit his approach on the 18th to about 60 feet, left his putt about 10 feet short and three-putted for bogey. Gore needed to make a 50-foot birdie putt on 18 to force a playoff, but he left it about a foot short to wrap up the victory for Love.

“I told my coach starting today, ’17 is a playoff and 18 is a winner,'” Brown said.

There was quite a crowd near the top of the leaderboard for a while. Midway through the afternoon, five players shared the lead at 15 under.

None of them was Woods.

Chasing his first victory since 2013, he opened with six straight pars, including one on the easiest hole on the course – the par-5 fifth, which he birdied in each of the first three rounds.

Woods sent his tee shot on the par-3 seventh into the huge gallery that had been waiting for him to reel off some birdies and make his move, then two-putted for his first bogey.

And when he made the turn, he was three strokes behind co-leaders Gore and Brown – his playing partner.

The 11th hole pretty much sank Woods.

His chip-and-run ran all the way off the green. He couldn’t keep his ensuing chip on, and wound up three-putting for triple bogey. Not even three straight birdies on Nos. 13-15 could help him recover.

“I just wasn’t able to get any kind of roll early,” Woods said. “I had my chances to get it going. I just never did.”